Is CK Media Trying A New Special Issue Concept?

In case you haven’t seen it yet, CK Media has a new special issue out on newsstands. It’s called Easy Techniques for Fun & Funky Paper Projects. And there are several things that are unusual about that issue.

The first unusual thing is something that I don’t recall CK Media ever having done before. This special issue doesn’t seem tied specifically to any of the actual magazines. It seems to exist in a kind of editorial no-man’s land. It isn’t listed on the CK website for sale. The format and length seems to come straight from the template of Simple Scrapbooks‘ short format special issues of 2005/2006, but it has a teeny tag line on the cover for newsstand reference that says “Paper Crafts SIP”. Everything else about the magazine is branded with only the name of CK Media, and the Editor’s Note in the front of the issue is from CK Media Editorial Director Lin Sorenson, not one of the company’s magazine editors.

There is another major difference for this issue – and it might explain that first difference. The issue is a sponsored issue, with the cover line “All products and inspiration by KI Memories”. The only ad pages in the issue are for KI Memories and CK Media. The overall effect is a very cohesive look and feel. Of course, this is a good thing if you like the KI Memories look…but a bad thing if you don’t, because you probably won’t pick up the issue. Uncertain about readers’ reaction to the idea of a sponsored issue, CK Media might have been reluctant to tie the issue to a certain magazine.

The idea of the sponsored issue would seem like a financial winner for CK Media. I doubt they paid for any of the content, like they would with using open calls and their on-call designer lists to create a special issue. This allowed them to lower the price relative to special issues of this same length (114 pages) that were published by Simple Scrapbooks in 2005/2006, which were priced at $6.99 – before our recent round of inflation hit.

The sponsored issue concept could be a winner for readers as well, if they like the sponsoring company. They get what is in essence an idea book for that company’s products for the fraction of the usual price of a manufacturer idea book. Even compared to a magazine, the price is very reasonable due to the sponsorship. As a reader, I would love to see more publications like this one featuring my favorite supply companies. It guarantees that I will like pretty much everything used in the issue. The density of ideas that I like in the issue’s pages go up.

Is this idea a winner for stores to carry? For stores that carry the product line, displaying this issue with the product could help move both the issue and the product. And buyers of the magazine may come back later motivated to buy more of the product line after seeing it used well and in a variety of ways in the issue.

KI Memories has already been increasing their visibility lately with getting their foot in the door at certain big-box stores and heavy advertising campaigns in magazines. Fresh & Funky, however, is something that should be an unparalleled marketing tool for them at both the consumer and wholesale level.

This seems like a winner all-around, for consumers, the publisher, for stores and the manufacturer. I wonder if there are any more of these in the works? I’d love to make a few suggestions for the next companies I’d like to see participate in a project like this!